It was the start of the pandemic, andJohn Smith’s world was falling apart.
The acclaimed singer/songwriter originally from Essex was dealing with an onslaught of tragedy. His mom was battling cancer, his wife suffered a miscarriage and his father had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
“My family all lived in different parts of the world at the time, and [my dad] got us all on a call and told us that this had happened,” Smith, 42, recalls to PEOPLE. “He said he was going to deal with it openly and calmly, and how he didn’t want anyone to freak out." He pauses. “I think for me, that’s about as strong as it gets.”
And like millions of families all around the world faced with this sort of news, Smith’s loved ones came together. Plans were made and changes were discussed. But for Smith, there were also songs to be written.
John Smith.Phil Fisk
Phil Fisk
One of those songs was his new single called “Candle.”
“I do hope that [‘Candle’] finds some people who are going through or have been through a similar experience of family illness or friends being ill,” Smith says of the breathtaking song whose live performance video premieres exclusively on PEOPLE. “I hope it provides something to relate to, because [the role of caregiver] can be a very lonely experience.”
Certainly, the role Smith’s father has played throughout his life can’t go understated, as it washethat inspired him to love music. “My dad got me my first guitar,” Smith remembers. “He sat me down and played meLed Zeppelin, and it was in that moment that I realized that music was real and that I wanted to be a musician.”
John Smith’s The Living Kind.Phil Fisk
Smith would go on to live a life as a touring musician for going on 20 years. But time stopped when his dad got sick.
“Once [my dad] told us about the diagnosis, we had to plan for the future very quickly while I was still making records and playing live streams and trying to keep my career going,” Smith remembers. “I think it just shook me out of a sense of complacency that I had developed. All these experiences have galvanized my family, and now we know a little bit more about what we want and who we are. You must look for some kind of opportunity to try and find a way forward that doesn’t involve despair.”
“Candle” will ultimately find itself a home on Smith’s new albumThe Living Kind,which is set for release March 15 and serves as the follow-up to Smith’s critically acclaimed albumThe Fray, for which he earned two UK Americana Award nominations in 2022.
“[The Living Kind]is about my whole life,” he says. “But ‘Candle’ is the first song on the record because for me personally, it’s a marker on the map.”
And for right now, that map includes a dad who still has moments where he shines bright. “Anytime we talk about music, his memory is still there,” Smith says quietly. “He can tell me his favoriteGeorge Harrisonrecord, and we can get into it. Anything to do with music, he’s right there.”
source: people.com
